The Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) at the University of Chicago supports interactive and interdisciplinary materials research, primarily in the condensed matter sciences, organized into three principal thrust areas. There is a strong emphasis throughout on collaborative research between experimentalists and theorists. The surface dynamics thrust includes research on adparticle dynamics and surface reactivity, and on surface phonon spectroscopy and overlayer dynamics. The thrust on disordered materials includes work on lower dimensional disorder a variety of systems, glassiness and glassy dynamics, and order-disorder and structure in oxides. Research on dynamical patterns and solidification has developed into a third major thrust area in the last few years. It addresses the dynamics of pattern formation and dynamical evolution at liquid-liquid and liquid- solid interfaces and in simple dynamical systems where the work is concerned with the analysis of fractal attractors generated at the onset of chaos in convective flow. The MRL also provides seed funding for new faculty and high- risk research, and supports continuing research in high- resolution analytical microscopy related to several other areas of the overall program. Funding is also provided for the development, operation and maintenance of central research facilities. The program currently involves 21 faculty members, 5 professionals, 23 graduate students, and 6 students in "Research Experience for Undergraduates." The University of Chicago MRL is directed by Professor Sidney R. Nagel.
